With highlighting your hair can look brighter and glossier. However, salt and pepper combinations (contrasting mix of dark and light shades) should be avoided as they are unnatural and old-fashioned, and can be misread as dark hair turning Grey.

Although perfect highlighting requires to be handled by professionals, some wonderful effects can also be created with homemade treatments. Like finger painting and streaking can be used quite easily.

Finger Painting

It is a very easy process for a subtle effect. For this you need to wear a pair of thin gloves and the finger paint needs to be carefully prepared according to the instructions.

Four fingers of each hand are to be dipped into the bleach solution and then run through the hair as if pushing the hair back away from the face.

Starting at the front hairline, work as far back as you want. Leave the solution on for the time period specified on the pack, and follow it by a rinse, shampoo, and conditioning. And watch the result unfold.

Streaking

Streaking is of two types - half-head or full head.

Half-head Streaking

helps to produce lighter and brighter effects because highlights can be seen at the sides and the crown. Here you take select of hair with a rat-tail comb, apply paste bleach on them and wrap them up in foil paper. For great results, half-head highlights should be placed close to the hairline. However, touch-ups are essential every six to eight weeks before the growth becomes visible.

Whole head streaking

is a time consuming procedure, where the entire head of hair is coloured. It produces a blonde effect and depending upon the degree of lightnes, darker streaks are placed close to the hairline. This too needs to be touched up every six to eight weeks.

D-I-Y Streaking

Before you start, it is important to understand that this kind of streaking is more flattering to medium-brown or light-brown hair and that this process should be done on dry hair. To begin you require a streaking kit, toothbrush, and foil, a plastic or glass (not metal) bowl for the bleach, a rat-tail comb and some clips.

Step-by-step Method

Hold back the hairline with clips so that streaks don't show there. Cut about 12 strips of foil which are 10cm long. Prepare the bleach according to the instructions stated on the kit, making sure it is not too thick, since it will thicken on its own when used.

To start: Using a rat-tail comb, separate a thin layer of hair at the top of the head. Move horizontally. Fold a foil strip about five cm in and push it under the hair that has been separated.

Take a toothbrush laden with bleach and cover the separated hair. Then cover with the foil strip.

The next row to be streaked should be about 1.25 cm below the previous streak and kept 1.25 cm apart. The hair that I not being streaked should be clipped on to the foil. Repeat the procedure till the required amount of hair has been dealt with.

After the hair wrapping is complete, the first wrap should be checked for colour. The colour should be golden and if it's not so, re-apply bleach and leave for five minutes. As you open out the first few wraps, keep rinsing them with warm water to remove the bleach.

When all the wraps have been opened out, shampoo hair and condition. And watch a myriad hues emerge